


Only Fools Rush In

by menel



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 21:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/menel/pseuds/menel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One year after Operation Pitfall, the world has moved on after over a decade of fighting the Kaiju War, except for two Rangers who have somehow found themselves in a holding pattern. However, the holiday season combined with the anniversary of the Battle of the Breach may finally be the time to break that pattern, for better or for worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Set-Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mixk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mixk/gifts).



> Stories have a tendency to take a life of their own and while I began writing with one of the prompts clearly in mind, the prompt itself faded into the background and became a canvas for the _real_ story to unfold. Mixk, I hope you enjoy the fic anyway! 
> 
> A big shout-out to my awesome beta, Dodger_Sister, who pulled last minute beta duty despite the busy holiday season and her own crappy health. I hope you get better soon, babe!

**Prologue**

“You did what?!” 

Raleigh buried his face in his hands. “I kissed him,” he said. 

“Becket boy,” Tendo said, a warm hand on his shoulder where they sat side-by-side at the bar. “You need another drink.” He motioned for the bartender. “And I want to hear all the details.” 

Raleigh nodded, feeling too numb to do anything else. How had life gotten so fucked up? 

 

 

 

**Chapter 1. The Set-Up**

It was almost one year after Operation Pitfall and it still never failed to amaze Raleigh how quickly the world had moved on after over a decade of fighting a war with giant monsters who came through a breach that lead into another dimension (even saying it like that made it sound like the plot of some science fiction movie, although it had been his reality since he was fifteen) and all that war entailed – the rationing, the sacrifices, the destruction, and the countless lives lost. But humanity had survived through the heroic efforts of the PPDC and the all-but-abandoned Jaeger Program, and he was one of those heroes of the Battle of the Breach, once again the poster boy of it all. 

Raleigh had enjoyed the celebrity when he had been younger. He had been cocky then, all unbridled energy and youthful enthusiasm. He could afford to be exuberant when Yancy – stable, levelheaded, calm and disciplined Yancy – had been there to temper him. But those days were long gone and though he could hardly believe it, he had finally made peace with his past, had been able to let the ghost of his brother and his own personal failings lay to rest. The price had been high, but the price for peace – for any kind of peace – would always be high, would always involve sacrifice. Raleigh had never expected to survive the Battle of the Breach. It had been implicitly understood by all four Jaeger pilots that the mission would be a one-way ticket. If anyone made it through, it would be a miracle. That’s what he and Mako had been given – a miracle; whereas Pentecost (the man who had made his road to redemption possible) and Chuck had been the sacrifice. 

The first few months following Operation Pitfall had been the hardest. It had been a period of celebration, swiftly followed by one of transition, a transition that had been far from smooth and painless. While Raleigh and Mako had immediately been rushed on a victory tour among the member nations of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, the backroom battles had already begun on what to do with the Jaeger Program and its affiliates. The new Marshal, carved out in the midst of the Battle of the Breach, was the man caught in the middle of it all, in a position he had never wanted but was resigned to take. Herc had been a revelation to Raleigh in this, the most trying and difficult of times. Raleigh had heard from Tendo how Herc had long been under pressure to stop piloting and take up a command position within the PPDC. The senior Ranger had been Pentecost’s right-hand man for years, the sole remaining active pilot from the first generation of Jaegers, followed in seniority by the Kaidanovskys. But Herc was no bureaucrat and if conditions had been different, Raleigh understood that Herc would rather have retired than be put behind a desk. However, conditions were what they were and everyone knew that the entire Jaeger Program would collapse without Herc’s leadership, which meant that Herc was saddled with the position of Marshal and all the stress and bureaucracy and politicking that came with the job. In hindsight, Raleigh believed that it had all worked out for the best. Despite loathing the position, being Marshal kept Herc fully occupied. It had prevented him from drowning in his own grief, or worse, seeking solace at the bottom of a bottle. It made sure that he wasn’t isolated or strayed too far from his PPDC family, because piloting and the Jaeger Program had been all the family he and Chuck had ever really known. 

Raleigh had returned from the victory tour to a beleaguered and burdened Marshal Hercules Hansen and had made a rash split-second decision. His future at that point had been hazy to himself. He hadn’t known what to do beyond his responsibilities related to the Battle of the Breach. He’d become so inured to his day-to-day existence that the very idea of a future, of something to look forward to, of planning ahead, was alien to him. But seeing Herc in his public battles with the PPDC Council as well as his own personal demons had unexpectedly steeled Raleigh’s resolve. He could help the other man. He knew this and so he had plunged ahead. Mako, who was now so attuned to him despite their minimal drifts, had reached the same decision. Together they became Herc’s lieutenants, his right and left hand. There was rarely a public appearance Herc made without being flanked by Raleigh and Mako. Mako, under the stewardship of Pentecost, handled the majority of the administrative responsibilities of the PPDC. She kept Herc’s paperwork to a minimum, sorting and filing the endless requests and memos, summarizing them in neat digestible formats, and only passing on the absolutely essential documents. Raleigh knew that Herc was endlessly grateful for her organizational skills. Mako was also in charge of Gipsy Danger 2.0’s construction. 

Raleigh had teased her over Gipsy’s name. “Shouldn’t it be 3.0 since this is the second time you’re doing this?” he’d asked. 

“No,” Mako had stubbornly replied. “The last project was a _restoration_ ,” she had emphasized, “based on the remnants of the original model but with significant upgrades. This will be an entirely new Jaeger. A Mark-V,” she had added. “But one that will follow Gipsy’s original design blueprints.” Then her expression had softened and her voice had become tender as she’d said, “But she will still be ours.” 

Raleigh had smiled at this, his expression matching the tenderness in her voice. “I know,” he’d agreed softly. 

The plan to rebuild Gipsy Danger had been a deeply controversial one, a significant victory for the Jaeger Program that Raleigh had played a large part in. While Mako preferred to work behind the scenes, avoiding the limelight whenever possible, Raleigh had put himself front and center, shielding Herc and Mako from the media as much as he was able. In his youth, he and Yancy had been the Golden Boys of the PPDC, but now he took these responsibilities much more seriously. He could still flash that thousand-watt smile, but he was no longer just the poster boy of the Jaeger Program. He used his charm and charisma to secure funding and to keep the Program in the public eye. If the Council had been determined to cut their funding by two-thirds, Raleigh had turned to the private sector and philanthropic donations and endowments. Thus far, he had managed to walk the fine but treacherous line between that sort of support and outright contracts to private firms that could attempt to exploit the Jaeger Program. The battle of whether or not the Jaeger Program should be privatized was still one that he and Herc were fighting with the higher-ups in the PPDC Council. 

Raleigh was the person that Herc had come to depend on the most, slotting into the position that Herc himself had occupied when Pentecost had been Marshal. Aside from the PR work, Raleigh had also – much to everyone’s surprise except himself – become the primary liaison to the K-Science division and developments in drifting technology. K-Science and Jaeger tech was the sole area that the PPDC was willing to fund, and it was no secret that their desire to do so rested on the great possibility of these scientific advances being used for military applications. The exploitation of these scientific developments was another battle that Herc and Raleigh were fighting. 

Summing up the past year in transitioning the Jaeger Program into something that they were still uncertain of had been difficult to say the least and the task was far from finished. But Raleigh could pinpoint the moment when he knew, despite all their obstacles, that everything would be all right, that Herc would be all right. It had been an unassuming day in the K-Science labs about eight months after Operation Pitfall where Newt – who took great joy in lording his expertise over his now expansive staff, and had become fast friends with Raleigh in the process – had convinced both Herc and Raleigh to stop by for a demo of his latest breakthrough in Kaiju science. (Herc often turned to Raleigh to translate Newt’s scientific babble and Raleigh did so accordingly. There was no way Herc would have the patience to deal with the scientists without Raleigh as a translator and mediator.) 

The demo had been a disaster of laughably epic proportions but instead of losing his temper, Herc had merely caught Raleigh’s eye, a rueful and bemused expression on his face. Raleigh knew that his own expression mirrored something similar with an additional touch of fondness for Newt’s efforts. Herc had turned to him, squeezing his shoulder in a gesture that said he would leave Raleigh to deal with the aftermath of Newt’s experiment, that he was thankful to Raleigh for doing so and that he would see him later for their usual dinner and drinks. Raleigh’s eyes had trailed after Herc’s departing form, the phantom pressure of Herc’s hand still on his shoulder and two things had struck him at once. The first was that he and Herc had come to communicate largely through gesture and action. They weren’t big talkers. Herc, especially, could never be accused of being verbose. But they read each other well, _extremely_ well given that they had never drifted together. They weren’t in-tune the way he and Mako were, but it was startling to think that they could communicate so much through a single gesture. It was equally startling to think that Herc knew him that well, and that he knew the other man in return. Perhaps none of this should have been surprising given how closely they had been working together over the past eight months. It probably would’ve been more surprising if they somehow _hadn’t_ become good friends. 

However, Raleigh’s second epiphany had been far more disturbing and it had hit him as his eyes had drifted over Herc’s retreating form, tracing the line of Herc’s firm shoulders down his back to the curve of his ass. Herc was the Marshal of the PPDC but he didn’t go for the sharp suits that Pentecost had worn. No, Herc was more laid back in his attire, and that usually translated into jeans, such as the midnight blue pair that he had been wearing that day that accentuated his form nicely, and a variety of simple button-down long-sleeve shirts that were often rolled up at the cuffs. He suffered a tie only when he had to, and a suit for only the most formal of occasions. 

Raleigh didn’t give a flying fuck about fashion, but even he couldn’t help but notice that Herc looked good in anything, and probably best in nothing at all. Herc’s obliviousness to his physical appeal only served to make him even _more_ attractive, since he honestly couldn’t fathom why anyone would be interested in him in the first place. Raleigh had often forced back a laugh or had to hide a grin as Herc rebuffed the advances of women (and a smattering of men) in bars and official social engagements, whether the older man was aware of being hit on or not. Sometimes one really couldn’t tell with Herc, since social graces weren’t his strong suit. It was at these moments that their silent communication would come in handy as Herc would throw him a suffering plea for help through his eyes that Raleigh couldn’t help but respond to, interceding on his friend’s behalf and successfully drawing the attention of Herc’s would-be interest onto himself. Raleigh knew that Herc would make it up to him later, and he was becoming more and more creative in the reparations he could get out of the older man. 

However, on that unassuming day in Newt’s lab, Raleigh’s second epiphany had hit him like a sledgehammer. He’d likened it to entering the drift. It had been the same mental assault that had left him disoriented for several long seconds. He’d known for some time that he’d found Herc attractive, but it had been in that moment that Raleigh had realized that the attraction wasn’t purely physical. A physical attraction he could manage – contrary to his youthful indiscretions, he wasn’t a total horn dog. The problem was that what he felt for Herc was clearly _more_ than that although he wasn’t foolish enough to put a label on it either. (There was only so much denial one could take.) Raleigh couldn’t tell anymore when or how that had happened, but he was certain of it. Somewhere along the line he’d developed _feelings_ for the other man, the kind of feelings that could consume him if he wasn’t careful. 

What stung most of all, Raleigh had contemplated as the scientists and assistants around him had scrambled to get the lab back in order and Newt had been chattering at his side about the modifications he would make on the next round of experiments, was that there was no hope in hell of Herc ever returning those feelings. Herc simply wasn’t interested in dating, much less relationships and he’d certainly never given any sign that he was interested in men. Admittedly, Raleigh didn’t exactly advertise himself, but he’d always played both fields. He didn’t see any point in limiting himself even if it was his liaisons with women that had made the tabloids in his rock ‘n’ roll youth. But Herc was a different and more serious case, altogether. It wasn’t just the idea that Herc wouldn’t be interested, the man was his _boss_. 

“Rals,” Newt had said impatiently at one point. “You heard anything I’ve been saying?” 

“Every word,” Raleigh had automatically answered. “When will you be ready to try again?” 

“Three days at the earliest,” Newt had said gloomily. “It takes three days just to prepare the samples.” 

“I’ll make sure Herc is here,” Raleigh had informed him. “And try not to blow anything up next time,” he’d called over his shoulder as he’d exited the lab. 

“I didn’t ‘blow anything up!’” Newt had yelled back, but the rest of his rebuttal had faded away as Raleigh had left the K-science labs. 

He’d still been thinking about the moral and ethical dilemma of pursuing his boss, especially since Herc, for all the strength he projected was fragile at the core. Raleigh wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t about to jeopardize their newfound friendship, the trust Herc had invested in him, the stability that Raleigh provided and that Herc had come to depend on, over something like _this_. Sure, it would make working together harder on him but he would deal with it. It was at this point that Raleigh had been thankful for Herc’s general obliviousness when it came to matters of the heart. He wasn’t concerned that Herc would discover his feelings, no matter how well the other man could read him in other instances. Herc’s frame of reference hadn’t changed, even though Raleigh’s had just spun out of control. 

Everything had been going well until Christmas. Herc didn’t have any family left and neither did Raleigh. Instead of spending Christmas in the Hong Kong Shatterdome (which had obviously been Herc’s plan), Raleigh had invited Herc to join him in Anchorage. (Mako had spent Christmas in England, meeting the family of her new beau. Although she’d invited Raleigh and Herc to join her, there was no way either one of them was going to crash the momentous occasion for her. Privately, Raleigh had asked Mako if she needed his company for moral support. Mako had assured him that she would be fine, but Raleigh also suspected through the casual comment that Mako had dropped about not leaving Herc alone during the holidays that she suspected Raleigh’s feelings for the older man. Raleigh hadn’t confided in her, but he didn’t need to. Mako could read him better than anybody, Herc included.) 

Alaska would always be home, even though he hadn’t maintained a fixed residence since entering the Jaeger Academy. Over the past year, as his income had stabilized, Raleigh had purchased the old family cabin that his parents had brought him and Yancy to when they had been kids. Raleigh had a lot of good memories at that place before his family life had imploded. It was nostalgia that had prompted him to buy the cabin and the wishful thinking that perhaps he could share that bit of his childhood with Herc. He’d extended the Christmas invitation to the other man, stifling the warring hope and dread that Herc would accept (the hope trumped the dread) and the other voice that whispered in his ear that this probably wasn’t a good idea. 

Herc had accepted and they’d spent five blissful days (barring one rather large hiccup) just outside of Anchorage. At first, Herc had balked at the weather – “We don’t get winters like this in Oz,” he’d said – but had warmed up to the cabin immediately, as Raleigh had suspected he would. To call the cabin ‘rustic’ would have been a euphemism, but Herc enjoyed roughing it and they both savored being cut off from civilization. They did the whole Christmas shebang, the decorations and the tree, and the eggnog that had so much liquor in it that it had no business being called ‘eggnog’ at all. In the end, it was the eggnog that had done Raleigh in. 

It had been Christmas Eve and they’d been lounging in the large sofa in front of the roaring fire after a very satisfying dinner. (Herc had been impressed with his culinary skills and Raleigh had privately preened at the other man’s praise. He’d been out to impress but there was no need for Herc to know that.) They’d been sitting side-by-side on the sofa, much closer than was probably necessary but Raleigh wasn’t about to pull away, not when he had the option of resting his head on Herc’s shoulder instead, which he did. Herc hadn’t minded, even slouching further so that Raleigh would have a more comfortable angle. Raleigh had felt like a giant cat – lazy and content. He was already on his third mug of ‘eggnog’ and a distant part of him knew that his filter was slipping away, but he hadn’t believed that he was in any serious trouble. That is, until Herc had chided him. 

“I think somebody’s ready to turn in,” the older man had said softly. 

“I think somebody’s right,” Raleigh had agreed, not moving from his position. 

“Didn’t think you’d be such a holiday lightweight, Becket.” 

There had been something in Herc’s teasing tone that was so dangerously close to flirting that Raleigh had sat up and glanced at the other man to gauge his reaction. He’d arched an eyebrow and challenged, “And who did all the work?” 

Herc had been smiling at him, so unguarded and mellow that Raleigh had inadvertently dropped his guard as well. “I beg to differ,” he’d objected. “Unless you’re referring to the cooking, in which case, that was _all_ you.” 

“Damn right it was,” Raleigh had agreed, placated by Herc’s admission. He’d leaned forward again and without quite realizing what he was doing, he’d brushed his lips against the other man’s in a ghost of a kiss. He’d pulled away instantly, muttering a quick, “Shit.” Unfortunately, in his haste, he’d ended up spilling his eggnog on both of them and his quiet curse was followed by a much louder, “Shit!” He’d immediately reached for the napkins on the table in an effort to clean up his mess, babbling his apologies at the same time. It wasn’t clear whether he was apologizing for the kiss or for spilling eggnog all over Herc, but he hoped that the other man understood that he was sorry for both of those things. 

“I’m so sorry,” he’d said for probably the fifth time as he’d stood up, running a hand through his hair in his agitation. “Your eggnog, man. Hit me a lot harder than I thought it would. Not gonna trust you to make that stuff again,” he’d joked. 

It had been noticeable that Herc had remained nonplussed throughout the entire incident. His outward calm had disconcerted Raleigh, and he’d beat a hasty retreat, saying ‘good night’ and making some pathetic excuse about the day finally catching up with him. All the while he’d been aware of Herc’s piercing blue gaze watching him as he’d left the room, ending what otherwise would have been a rather perfect evening in the most awkward of fashions. 

That had been three days ago. By some miracle, Christmas Day _hadn’t_ been awkward, probably because through a mutual unspoken agreement they’d both pretended that Raleigh’s slip-up the previous evening had never happened. By Boxing Day, Raleigh was breathing easy again, since it was evident that Herc wasn’t treating him any differently and Raleigh followed suit. Early on the twenty-seventh of December, the two of them were on a flight back to Hong Kong. By the evening of the same day, Raleigh had ended up at his regular watering hole courtesy of Tendo, who’d spent his Christmas in Hong Kong making sure the Shatterdome didn’t fall apart in their absence, and was eager to take a good friend out drinking. 

That’s where Raleigh was now and after several drinks, the kiss that had been plaguing him since it happened had found an outlet in Tendo Choi, as he had to tell _somebody_ and Mako wasn’t back from London yet. 

“It doesn’t sound so bad,” Tendo was telling him in a surprisingly reassuring manner. “It wasn’t even a ‘real’ kiss. I mean, you weren’t sucking his face, he didn’t punch _you_ in the face, and he isn’t being weird about it. I’d say you got off easy, Becket boy.” 

Raleigh looked at his old friend thoughtfully. Tendo’s assessment was accurate. “When you put it that way . . .” he trailed off in agreement. 

“But, fuck man,” Tendo went on. “Herc? I had no clue. You two spend all of your time together. When the fuck did that happen?” 

Raleigh shrugged and finished the rest of his beer. “I think it happened ‘cos we _do_ spend all of our time together,” he admitted. 

Tendo’s expression became sympathetic. “I don’t think he –” 

“I _know_ he doesn’t,” Raleigh cut him off. He forced a smile. “It’s cool, man. I can deal with it. This was a one-time slip-up. Ain’t gonna happen again. The last thing I need is for the boss to press sexual harassment charges against me.” 

“Herc wouldn’t do that,” Tendo said seriously. “There’s a quick and easy way to solve this,” he said after giving Raleigh an appraising look. “You need to get laid, just to get him off your mind. Date. Go out. Mingle. Meet people. Remember how good you used to be at that?” 

“That was another lifetime,” Raleigh told him. 

“Yeah, well, your social skills sure ain’t rusty,” Tendo replied. “You’re practically single-handedly keeping the funds coming in charming the pants off the PPDC Council, the media and the private sector. The whole world loves you, Raleigh. You can have anybody you want.” Tendo stopped abruptly. “You know what I mean,” he added before Raleigh could pounce on his last statement. 

Raleigh just smiled, but he wouldn’t meet Tendo’s gaze as he motioned to the bartender for another round of beers. 

“I think you slipped up ‘cos it’s the holiday season,” Tendo stated matter-of-factly. “People don’t want to be alone this time of the year.” 

Raleigh finally swiveled his bar stool so that he was facing Tendo and the smile on his face was both rueful and genuine. “I think subconsciously I wanted to tell you all along,” he said. “’Cos I knew you’d just say it like it is. No bullshit.” 

Tendo lifted his newly opened beer bottle in a toast, waiting for Raleigh to do the same. “Life’s too short for bullshit,” he said, clinking the neck of his bottle against Raleigh’s. 

Raleigh silently agreed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pacing the halls of the Shatterdome, Herc had been distracted for most of the day. It was his first official day back since spending Christmas with Raleigh in Anchorage and he couldn’t seem to find anything to occupy himself with, which was ridiculous given that there was _so much to do_ before Gipsy Danger 2.0’s official launch on New Year’s Eve, commemorating the Battle of the Breach and the end of the Kaiju War. While Tendo had managed a skeletal crew during Christmas, Gipsy’s crew, techs, mechanics, not to mention the scientists were filtering back for the last big push before New Year’s. There was a lot to oversee and to follow-up on, but Herc couldn’t seem to focus. Part of it was due to the knowledge that Raleigh and Mako had everything well in hand, even though Mako wouldn’t be arriving from England until the following morning. The other part of him was thoroughly distracted by _that damn kiss_. Although he hadn’t given Raleigh any outward indication about how much that kiss had affected him, the amount of time he’d devoted to trying to parse its meaning had clearly hit obsession status. The problem was that they’d both chosen to ignore it in favor of maintaining the status quo, but Herc now regretted that decision. He knew, as well, that it had been _his_ decision and Raleigh had been more than willing to follow his lead. He supposed it was within his right to reverse that decision, even though he was uncertain of how Raleigh would react. But there was so much he wanted to talk about, so much that he wanted to know. What did the kiss _mean_? How long had Raleigh felt that way? _Did_ Raleigh feel that way or was something else going on? When did it start? Why hadn’t he noticed?

Herc had his own answer for the last question. He hadn’t noticed because he’d never thought of Raleigh in that way, hadn’t even considered that as a possibility. When he reflected on their interactions over the past year, in particular the past few months, he couldn’t pinpoint any signs that indicated Raleigh was remotely interested in him romantically. It was disheartening. It meant that he didn’t know Raleigh as well as he thought, or worse, that Raleigh was a sneaky, deceptive actor, putting on his greatest performance around Herc. 

Even more unsettling than Raleigh potentially hiding something like this from him (and really, was it fair to expect Raleigh to announce something like this to him at all?) was the possibility that now seemed open to him and his own reaction (or non-reaction) to the kiss. Sure, he’d been surprised. But he hadn’t been disgusted or revolted by it. If he had to name the dominant emotion related to that kiss, it would be disappointment. He was _disappointed_ that it had been so brief, so fleeting that it hardly seemed real. He wouldn’t have minded if the kiss had lingered, had even deepened. He’d begun imagining what Raleigh would’ve tasted like that night – sweet with the eggnog mixed with the strong after burn of the whiskey that he’d spiked the holiday drink with. But the moment had passed and now he would never know. 

What did it say about him that he cared so much? He didn’t look twice at men, not since he’d fumbled with another kid’s crotch in the backyard of his house when he’d been fourteen. His dad had caught him and promptly beaten him for it, forcefully reminding him that, “There are no fags in the family.” So there weren’t. But Raleigh . . . Raleigh was different. And Herc was no longer fourteen. He knew that he should probably sort out his own conflicting mass of emotions first before confronting Raleigh, but . . . well, he’d never been the patient sort. It was with only one goal in mind that he sought out his number two, finding him exactly where he knew he would be – in Gipsy’s hangar bay. Raleigh was calling out to one of the techs below him when Herc appeared beside him. 

“Sorry, mate. Didn’t mean to startle you,” Herc said, when Raleigh turned at his presence. 

“You didn’t,” Raleigh assured him, before returning his focus to the tech. He called out again. “When will it be ready?” 

“Tomorrow morning,” the tech called back. “First thing.” 

“You better be sure about that,” Raleigh warned, his tone lightly teasing. “Or you’ll have to answer to Ms. Mori.” 

From where he was standing, Herc could see the tech flash Raleigh a wide smile. Everyone knew that Mako was the real slave driver between the two of them. The tech gave Raleigh a wave before disappearing into a hallway of the ‘dome. 

“How’s it going?” Herc asked him when he had Raleigh’s full attention. 

“On schedule,” Raleigh replied. He seemed pleased. “We’ll test drive Gipsy the day after Mako gets back.” 

“That’s the day before New Year’s Eve,” Herc pointed out. “Cutting it a little close, aren’t we?” 

“A little,” Raleigh admitted. “But Mako and I don’t foresee any major obstacles. We could probably test drive Gipsy tomorrow afternoon, but I’d like Mako to have some time to recover from her jet lag. Drifting is hard enough as it is.” 

“Ready to get back in the saddle?” 

Raleigh shrugged. “I guess,” he answered. Then he grinned. “It’s not like Mako doesn’t know me inside and out anyway.” 

“Poor girl,” Herc commented, making Raleigh laugh. 

The other man leaned in a little conspiratorially, dropping his voice as he said, “And people say the Marshal doesn’t have a sense of humor.” 

“Only people who don’t know me,” Herc automatically answered. 

Raleigh’s expression softened a little as he leaned back. Herc knew that Raleigh understood what he meant. “We still on for dinner?” he asked. 

Raleigh gave him an odd look. “’Course,” he said. “You needed to ask?” 

“Just double-checking,” Herc replied. There was the mildest hint of tension in the air and Herc knew they were both skirting around the kiss-that-never-happened. 

“You didn’t have to,” Raleigh assured him. 

“See you at seven, then?” 

“Seven-thirty,” Raleigh amended. “Got a couple more things to do.” 

Herc nodded. “Seven-thirty,” he agreed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Herc entered his usual haunt with Raleigh, an Irish-gastro pub called Hibernia, within walking distance from the Shatterdome at precisely seven-thirty. Although Raleigh had asked for an extra thirty minutes to wrap things up, Herc spotted him as soon as he stepped inside. He was sitting at the bar, nursing a beer and talking rather animatedly with a man that Herc didn’t recognize, that is, until Herc drew closer. It was the tech that Raleigh had been speaking to when Herc had found him in Gipsy’s hangar. He felt an unusual spike of possessiveness that he pushed aside as he made his way to the bar. Dammit. Raleigh was really fucking with his head. 

“Hey,” he said, laying a hand on Raleigh’s shoulder when he reached the pair. He’d just meant to tap Raleigh to get his attention, but his hand seemed to be severed from his brain as it stayed where it was, warm and with the barest hint of pressure. 

“Hey,” Raleigh said, flashing him a warm smile as he turned on his stool. Herc took the hint and dropped his hand. “I want you to meet somebody. This is Braden, one of Gipsy’s new techs.” 

“Braden,” Herc repeated, quickly taking stock of the man before him as he shook his hand. 

“Marshal,” Braden said respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you.” 

“When did you start with us?” Herc asked politely, taking note of the English accent. Braden was good-looking – brown hair, brown eyes, fit and with a firm handshake. Looked to be about Raleigh’s age too. Herc tried to dispel the thought that quickly entered his mind but he couldn’t help seeing Braden as competition. (Competition for what? his mind yelled.) He did his best to quell that notion. 

“Beginning of December,” Braden answered. 

“Busy time to start,” Herc commented. 

“You got that right, sir.” 

“It’s just Herc,” Herc told him. “We’re off duty. No need for the formality.” 

“All right,” Braden agreed. “Well,” he said, standing up. “Better let you two have your privacy. Probably want to talk shop and other PPDC business.” 

“Lunch tomorrow?” Raleigh asked. 

Braden grinned. The kid really was attractive. “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said, before nodding at Herc and disappearing into the crowd. Herc felt that spike again and it wasn’t possessiveness this time, it was honest-to-god jealousy. It was routine for he and Raleigh to have lunch together, barring some kind of emergency. Braden was encroaching on that routine, on _his_ territory. 

“Our regular table’s ready,” Raleigh was saying, drawing Herc’s attention back to him. 

“Let’s go,” Herc said, leading the way to their corner booth at the far end of the pub. It was the most private location in the place. 

“You don’t mind, do you?” Raleigh said, as they slid into their booth. 

“Mind what?” Herc questioned as the waitress, Sophia handed them the pub’s menus. 

Raleigh refused his menu with a polite smile and a wave of his hand. “I’ll have the usual, Sophia,” he said. 

Herc gave the menu a cursory glance before handing it back. “Same,” he told her. 

Sophia nodded, jotting down their order. “Nice to see you boys back,” she said with a smile. 

“Nice to be back,” Raleigh replied. 

“Mind what?” Herc repeated when Sophia had left them. 

“Lunch with Braden tomorrow? I probably should’ve asked you first.” 

Herc scoffed to hide that he was both pleased that Raleigh had thought that and irritated that Raleigh had thought that. “You don’t need my permission to have lunch with somebody,” he replied. “And no, I don’t mind.” It was mostly true. 

Raleigh nodded. “Cool,” he said, fiddling with a napkin. 

“I’ve been thinking about . . .” Herc began, but stopped when Raleigh looked at him in alarm. 

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Raleigh said quickly, instinctively knowing what Herc was about to bring up. 

“Would you mind if we did?” 

Raleigh sat back and exhaled loudly. He shrugged. “I’d rather not,” he admitted. “But I guess I don’t really mind. I didn’t think you’d bring it up.” 

“Didn’t think I would either.” 

“You don’t have to worry,” Raleigh assured him. “It’s not gonna happen again. Won’t be a problem either.” 

Herc nodded. “I’m not worried,” he replied, and it was the truth. “You caught me off guard is all. I didn’t think you were . . . into men.” 

Raleigh laughed and this time his shrug was looser, more comfortable. “Yeah, well, I’ve never been into labels. You like who you like, right?” 

Herc felt a pleasant buzz at Raleigh’s words. One of his questions had just been answered. Raleigh _was_ interested in him. Romantically. 

“’Course back in the day, the press only caught the female trysts,” Raleigh said. “Sometimes I thought they just saw what they wanted to see. And the PPDC certainly thought the male hetero norm was far more marketable for their purposes.” He smiled again as Sophia stopped by with their beers. 

“You were a heartbreaker back then,” Herc added. “If the press was to be believed.” 

Raleigh shook his head, still smiling. “Naw, man. That was Yancy. He may have kept a low profile but my brother was the _real_ heartbreaker.” 

Herc wanted to ask how long Raleigh had felt that way about him, but he couldn’t get the question out. It didn’t matter though because Raleigh was still speaking. 

“You took it really well,” he said. “The kiss, I mean.” 

“Thought I’d press charges?” Herc joked. 

“It crossed my mind,” Raleigh replied and Herc couldn’t tell whether he was kidding or not. “At the very least, maybe a punch in the face.” 

“I’ve had worse come-ons,” Herc told him. Wasn’t that the truth? “Yours was barely a blip in the Richter scale. Just . . . unexpected.” A bloody ten on the unexpected scale though, he thought. 

“Tendo says I need to get laid,” Raleigh said. “It wouldn’t have happened if I was . . . y’know . . . getting some.” 

“What do you think?” Herc ended up asking, even though the question that was really going through his mind was, ‘You told Tendo about _this_?’ 

“I think he’s right,” Raleigh replied. “Time to get out there again. Socializing, I hear it’s called.” 

“The damn meat market,” Herc corrected, unable to keep the derision out of his voice. 

“What about you?” Raleigh asked. “Ever thought about getting out there again? Dating?” 

“Dating?” Herc repeated a little dumbly. Raleigh had just caught him by surprise . . . again. “Think I’m too old for that.” 

“That’s ridiculous,” Raleigh declared. “Plenty of people would jump all over you if you just gave them the chance.” 

Herc shook his head. “Can’t even remember the last time I went out on a date,” he admitted. “It was probably with my wife. _Before_ we got married.” 

“So?” Raleigh questioned. “The basics haven’t changed since the Stone Age.” 

“Somehow dragging women by their hair back to my cave doesn’t seem like the fashion.” 

Raleigh laughed, loud and free. “See?” he teased. “There’s that elusive sense of humor again. Women are gonna love you.” He was smiling. “We should try dating. Maybe we could even go on a double date. We spend all our time together. We’ll never meet anybody that way. What do you say?” 

There were so many directions Herc could have taken their conversation. He could’ve pointed out that he wasn’t interested in dating or meeting other people for that matter. He could’ve repeated that his social skills were rusty and his dating acumen non-existent. He could’ve simply said that he was content with his life, that he _enjoyed_ spending all his time with Raleigh. But he didn’t say any of those things. No, what he said instead was completely bonkers. 

“How about going out with me?” 

Raleigh actually choked on his beer. “What?” he asked, when he’d finally stopped coughing. Raleigh looked like a deer caught in the headlights, startled and uncertain. It was a look that Herc had never seen on him before and it made him look young. So very young. “Did you just ask me out on a date?” 

Herc’s instincts told him to backtrack immediately, because shit. That’s exactly what he’d just done, wasn’t it? He’d just asked Raleigh out on a date. Fuckin’ hell. He wasn’t ready for that. 

“Sort of,” he amended. 

Raleigh was watching him intensely and Herc could hardly stand the onslaught of that clear blue gaze. He was on dangerous, dangerous ground and he had to tread carefully. 

“I think you’re right,” he began slowly. “About getting back out there. But it’s not something I’m really . . . ready for. So I figured, we could go out on a . . . trial date.” 

Herc could see Raleigh’s tension ease as the other man sat back in his seat. He looked thoughtful. “A mock date, you mean,” he clarified. “Sort of like Mako and I taking Gipsy out on a trial run before New Year’s Eve.” 

“Precisely.” 

“It sounds a little nuts,” Raleigh admitted. “I mean, I’m not even your . . .” He searched for the right word, finally settling on, “Your type.” 

“What did you just say about labels?” Herc reminded him. 

Raleigh grinned. “Still, don’t you think we know each other a little too well to go on a pretend date?” he suggested. “Wouldn’t it defeat the point? It takes away all the awkwardness of getting to know somebody for the first time. The uncertainty is half the anxiety, right?” 

“I think the familiarity’s a strength,” Herc countered. “It’s about remembering the . . . protocol.” 

Raleigh burst out laughing. “Protocol?” he repeated. “Dating protocol? God, you are so military.” He smiled at Herc fondly. 

“What do you say?” Herc said, repeating Raleigh’s own question. 

Raleigh shook his head, but he was still smiling. “I dunno, Herc. This seems like a really bad idea. A crazy bad idea.” 

“Right up your alley then,” Herc replied. Privately, he agreed, making him wonder why he was pushing the issue so hard. What did he really want out of this ‘crazy bad idea’? 

“I’m rusty too,” Raleigh reminded him. “When it comes to the whole dating scene. Might not be able to help you with that protocol.” 

“Then we can relearn it together,” Herc said. “You can see if your moves still work.” 

Raleigh laughed softly, ducking his head as he did so. There was something uncharacteristically bashful about the gesture, as though he were hiding something. Herc thought he detected a hint of sadness in the action and it occurred to him, very belatedly, that what he was asking might seem cruel to Raleigh. Raleigh _was_ interested in him and he was offering himself to the kid with one very big condition. Jesus. When did he turn into such a bastard? He was about to take it all back – he’d _never_ intentionally hurt Raleigh that way – but Raleigh’s next words stopped him. 

“All right,” Raleigh said, looking at him again. The hesitation and shyness was gone, replaced with something more determined, almost challenging. “Let’s do it.” 

“Yeah?” Herc confirmed. It wasn’t too late to back out, to laugh it off and agree that it was a terrible idea, a joke that had gone too far. 

“Yeah, why not?” Raleigh agreed, his familiar confidence back. “But since _you_ asked me out,” he went on, “you have to wine and dine me.” 

“Is that how it works?” 

“Protocol, man.” 

“And I suppose you’ll be the demure date.” 

“The sassy date,” Raleigh corrected. “Being demure isn’t my style.”


	2. The Fall

After Operation Pitfall, Herc had chosen to stay in the Shatterdome. He’d done it for practical reasons, although as the new Marshal, the PPDC would have provided him with generous off-site housing. Even after life had returned to a semblance of normality in the post-Kaiju world, Herc had remained in the Shatterdome. He clung to its familiarity, to its austerity. He couldn’t bear the idea of leaving this world and embarking on something _new_ , something both foreign and familiar – a normal house, a normal life. These were the things he’d never been able to give Chuck. He didn’t feel like he deserved those things now that Chuck was gone. 

In the beginning, Raleigh had stayed at the Shatterdome as well. He’d moved to more spacious quarters, as had Mako, both of them strategically located in the same hallway as Herc. (Herc felt they’d done that to keep an eye on him. It had been touching, although he hadn’t been able to show his appreciation at the time.) But as Raleigh settled into his post-Kaiju life, he expressed a desire to get off-site housing. The PPDC was more than willing to comply, even though space was at a premium in the cramped city of Hong Kong and its nine million inhabitants. In the end, Raleigh had found a modest bungalow amid the gated villas and mansions of the ultra exclusive Victoria Peak. He’d had his choice of swanky apartments with sweeping views in the lush mid levels of the Peak, where most of Hong Kong’s yuppies and the expatriate community lived. However, it was the privacy of his own house and an actual garden with a backyard that sealed the deal. 

Despite his exclusive address, Raleigh lived simply and modestly. It was the privacy and the tranquility that he valued above all else. Herc suspected that this was as close as Raleigh could get to Anchorage, which the younger Ranger would always consider his home. Raleigh still maintained his quarters at the Shatterdome, in case he needed to crash after a long day or get up particularly early the following morning and didn’t feel like making the commute. But he always spent the weekends out of the ‘dome. Herc had spent a fair amount of time at Raleigh’s place as well, so much in fact that he now had his own key (Mako had one too) and the second bedroom of the two-bedroom bungalow was unofficially his. There was a guest bedroom too, but Raleigh reserved that for, well, actual ‘guests.’ 

For their mock date, Herc had agreed to pick Raleigh up at his house at 6:30pm. The unfamiliar feeling of trepidation gripped him as he walked up the winding path to the front door. God, he was actually nervous when there was no reason to be. This wasn’t a real date and Raleigh was . . . Raleigh. Still, that didn’t stop him from smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on his dinner jacket before ringing the bell. He was wondering if he’d overdressed when Raleigh answered the door. 

“Military precision timing, of course,” Raleigh greeted him sardonically as he swung open the door. But his humor was cut short when he got a good look at Herc. “Wow,” he said. “You look great.” 

Herc’s response was automatic. “So do you.” Perhaps dating protocol wasn’t all that difficult to remember after all. 

Raleigh grinned a little ruefully. “I’m not so sure,” he admitted. “I’m starting to feel underdressed.” 

“You’re not,” Herc assured him. “Ready?” 

“Yeah, let me just grab my keys.” 

With his keys Raleigh locked the door behind him and they walked out into the cool night. They were halfway down the footpath when Raleigh suddenly held Herc’s arm to catch his attention. 

“Are you sure I’m not underdressed?” Raleigh asked. “If you’re taking me someplace where I’ll need a jacket, I can run inside and grab one.” 

Herc’s trepidation had completely disappeared. Now he found the whole situation a little amusing. So much for the familiarity of friendship removing the awkwardness of a first date. Raleigh had assumed the date would be casual. He, on the other hand, being the rather old-fashioned man that he was, had gone for something more formal because that’s the way he remembered dating to be. He didn’t actually intend on taking Raleigh to a Michelin-star restaurant (because that wasn’t him either), but he’d made an effort with his appearance, wearing a proper dinner jacket but falling short of a tie. Naturally, Raleigh had taken one look at him and reached the conclusion, “Formal.” It was a valid conclusion as well, given Herc’s everyday wardrobe. 

“You don’t need a jacket,” Herc told him. “Really,” he added at Raleigh’s dubious look. “You’re fine. Better than fine.” 

“Didn’t think you’d take the wine and dine thing so seriously,” Raleigh replied, the teasing lilt back in his tone. 

“And so the sass starts,” Herc observed. 

“Just warming up,” Raleigh told him.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Herc knew how much Raleigh loved seafood, a trait Herc also attributed to Raleigh’s youth in Alaska, which is why he took Raleigh to one of Hong Kong’s classic seafood restaurants, Under the Bridge Spicy Crab. The look on Raleigh’s face told Herc that he approved of his choice and Herc placed a check on his mental list of ‘Dating Protocol.’ Raleigh ordered the signature dish – a deep fried crab smothered in a mountain of fried garlic and spices – almost as spicy as the restaurant could make it. (“I’ll have Thai fried garlic seeping out of my pores tomorrow,” he’d said jokingly. “But it’ll be totally worth it tonight!”) Herc ordered the same dish, but with medium spice. (He wasn’t as crazy as Raleigh.) They had a salted clam soup to accompany it and sautéed mussels with chili and black beans.

“Is there anything here that isn’t spicy?” Herc commented after tasting the mussels. 

“Nope,” Raleigh said, a bit too gleefully. “Full marks for your restaurant choice,” he added. 

The meal went extremely well as all their meals did. They never ran out of things to talk about, but for the most part they steered clear of PPDC business. The only snag they hit was when Herc made the mistake of inquiring after Braden. 

“How did lunch go today?” he tried to ask as casually as possible. 

“Lunch?” Raleigh repeated. 

“With Braden,” Herc clarified. 

“It was just lunch.” 

“It went well, then?” 

Raleigh paused from cracking open one of the crab’s claws and looked at Herc a little suspiciously. “I guess,” he answered. “Why so curious?” 

“Just wondering if you were going to have lunch with him again tomorrow.” 

Raleigh’s look of suspicion morphed into one of deviousness as he said, “Did you miss me?” 

The answer to that was ‘yes,’ but Herc merely gave him an indulgent smile. 

“No, we’re not having lunch tomorrow,” Raleigh finally replied, resuming cracking the crab claw. 

“But you’re interested in him,” Herc couldn’t help but say. He was still thinking about Tendo’s suggestion for Raleigh to get back out there, to start meeting people again, to get _laid_. He hadn’t noticed before how Raleigh didn’t date, which was odd given how young and attractive he was. Not to mention his colorful past, but Herc knew that Raleigh was hardly the same person after Knifehead. Who could be after suffering that kind of loss in that kind of way? 

Herc’s last comment really caught Raleigh’s attention and he stopped fiddling with his crab. “Hang on,” he said seriously. “Dating Protocol 101, Herc. You don’t bring up other people’s exes.” He paused. “Or _future_ exes,” he modified, before Herc could point out that Braden was technically not an ‘ex.’ “It’s poor form.” 

“Agreed,” Herc said. “But you _are_ interested in him?” he repeated after a moment. 

Raleigh was shaking his head but he was smiling too. “You’re hopeless,” he said. “Yes, I _am_ interested in him,” he finally admitted. “He seems nice. Smart. Good at his job. Soft on the eyes.” 

“That’s your type?” 

“I think that would be anybody’s type,” Raleigh mused. “Can we change the subject now?” 

Herc nodded and although Raleigh began talking about something else, his thoughts lingered on what Raleigh had just said about Braden. He had no doubt that the interest was genuine, but he wondered if it stemmed from the fact that Raleigh believed that _he_ was unavailable. Of course, that led to more troubling questions such as _was_ he available? Did he _want_ to be available? And what the hell was his reasoning for asking Raleigh out on this trial date? For what (or for _whom_ ) was it a trial run?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After dinner they meandered down to the Central Ferry Pier for drinks. Herc had briefly considered taking Raleigh to The Globe, still Hong Kong’s leading beer bar by leagues, but the chances of them running into people they knew were high. There were other beer bar options like Hop House or the more laid-back Trafalgar, but in the end he’d chosen The Beer Bay, which could hardly be described as a beer bar at all, more like a beer stall on the Central Waterfront. There wasn’t anywhere to sit, unless you camped out on the nearby steps. There were a handful of standing tables, which evening commuters used as a place to gather for a pint of ale before heading home. Raleigh was grinning as they lined up to place their orders. The offerings on tap were fairly standard, but the real treasures were to be found behind the counter, which had many of the same great brews as The Globe but for half the price. Beers in hand (Raleigh had the rich and chocolaty Fullers London Porter, while Herc had gone for the bitter, slightly edgy taste of Brew Dog, a Scottish distillery), they opted to go for a stroll along the waterfront. There was a larger than usual crowd that night comprised of tourists and locals, milling about during the holiday season. It was easy to get lost and for all their celebrity – particularly, Raleigh’s celebrity – they passed unnoticed.

Herc led them away from the crowd. Eventually, he slipped his hand into Raleigh’s when they had more privacy. The action caused Raleigh to give him a sideways look, a soft smile on his face. 

“Very smooth,” he murmured. 

Herc mentally ticked off another item on his list of Dating Protocol. He thought the evening had been a real success, arguably the best first date he’d ever been on in his life, even if it wasn’t really a date. He was sorry that it was nearing its end.

They spent most of the walk along the waterfront in comfortable silence until their beers were finished and they’d tossed the empty bottles away in a nearby trashcan. It was at that point that Herc stopped, lightly tugging Raleigh’s hand to pull the other man towards him. Raleigh took the hint and stopped as well so that they were standing face to face. 

“Did I pass?” Herc questioned. 

“With flying colors,” Raleigh answered, without a hint of sass in his voice. “I had a really good time.” 

“Yeah, I did too.” Herc eyed Raleigh carefully before saying, “If memory serves me right –” 

“I don’t put out until the third date,” Raleigh interrupted, the sass back in full force and accompanied by a cheeky grin. 

“How about first base?” 

Raleigh’s smile faltered for a moment. “You don’t have to go that far, Herc,” he said gently. 

“No?” 

“No,” Raleigh confirmed. “Especially if it makes you feel uncomfortable.” 

“I don’t think it would,” Herc replied, and he knew the minute the words were out of his mouth that they were true. In fact, the night wouldn’t feel complete if he didn’t get to kiss Raleigh. “I could use the practice.” 

Raleigh looked unconvinced. 

“Or you can think of it as reparation for Christmas,” Herc ventured. 

Raleigh barked out a laugh. “Well now, look who’s being sassy,” he grinned. 

“Is that a ‘yes’ then?” 

“Dating Protocol 101, Herc,” Raleigh said for the second time that evening. “You don’t talk this much about a first kiss. It kills the romance. You just –” 

_Do it_ , Herc mentally finished and so he did.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You went out on a _date_?!”

“It wasn’t a real date,” Raleigh protested. 

“Uh-huh,” Tendo replied dubiously. He shook his head. “This is not what I had in mind when I said you should get out there and start dating. You’re supposed to _forget_ about him, not _go out_ with him.” 

“I told you, it wasn’t a real date,” Raleigh insisted. “And it was a one-time thing.” 

“That’s what you said about the kiss too,” Tendo reminded him. 

Raleigh let out a sigh of exasperation. “This really was a one-time thing,” he repeated. 

“What made you say ‘yes’ in the first place? You’re smarter than that, Rals.” 

“Then you give me too much credit,” was Raleigh’s dry reply. 

There was a pause and Herc strained to hear Raleigh’s next words. He loathed eavesdropping but he’d stumbled onto the conversation between Raleigh and Tendo in the small staff room that the three of them (plus Mako) often used and curiosity had gotten the best of him. 

“I couldn’t resist,” Raleigh said, after what felt like a long while. “Look, I’m not an idiot. I know Herc doesn’t feel the same way but I figured I had nothing to lose and I wouldn’t get another chance, pretend date or not. So I said ‘yes.’” 

Tendo remained silent and Herc could practically feel the J-Tech’s disapproval seeping through the walls. 

“Besides,” Raleigh went on. “It was real enough to me. You can’t fake that sort of easy conversation and good company.” He paused. “Well, you can,” he amended. “But Herc wouldn’t do that. And none of this matters anyway because for him the whole exercise was purely platonic.” 

“Right,” Tendo said, and there was no mistaking the disapproval now. “Like that kiss at the end of the night was purely platonic.” 

Herc mentally sighed. There had been _nothing_ platonic about that kiss. While Raleigh’s Christmas overture had been the softest brush of lips against lips, Herc had dived into that kiss. He remembered how he’d silenced Raleigh’s words with it, how Raleigh felt pressed up against him, the hard plane of muscle so very different from the soft curves of a woman’s body. He now knew what Raleigh tasted like, (spice and chocolate) and a thrill had passed through him at how responsive Raleigh had immediately been. Herc thought it had been the perfect kiss to cap what otherwise would have been a perfect first date, except . . . 

Except that when the kiss ended, Raleigh had placed his right hand on Herc’s chest to prevent Herc from closing the distance between them again (and Herc had been tempted), keeping his head bowed. Herc had been unable to see the expression on his face and he knew that Raleigh hadn’t wanted him to see. Instead, Raleigh had chuckled softly, tapping Herc’s chest once with his hand as he’d commented, “No rust there. I’d say you’re good to go, Marshal.” 

The use of his title had jolted Herc back to their situation. Raleigh had dropped his hand from Herc’s chest and had stepped away from him. The night air had suddenly seemed cooler in the space that opened up between them. Raleigh had looked guarded. He was smiling, but it wasn’t the warm smile that Herc was used to seeing. It was the sort of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, giving him that air of caution, of hesitation that Herc simply didn’t associate with Raleigh. 

That was how the evening had ended and Herc had been unable to think of anything else since. What had happened between the kiss and Raleigh’s statement, “You’re good to go, Marshal”? How had their dynamics shifted so quickly? It was maddening and he’d resolved to ask Raleigh about it, but that decision had led to this eavesdropping scenario. Maybe he’d discover the answer without having to confront Raleigh, saving them both the embarrassment. 

“What are you really upset at, Tendo?” Raleigh was saying, a combative edge to his tone. “Are you upset that he kissed me or that I went on the _fake_ date?” 

“I’m upset at _both_ of you,” Tendo hissed back. “You’re both fucking idiots.” 

Some small part of Herc agreed with the J-Tech’s assessment. He shouldn’t have asked Raleigh out on that mock date, Raleigh shouldn’t have accepted and Herc had definitely overstepped some unspoken boundary when he’d kissed the kid last night. Although Raleigh had been upfront about his interest, Herc couldn’t decide what was worse: to use Raleigh like that or for Raleigh to allow himself to be used. Some niggling part of him was whispering that he was more to blame for the situation than Raleigh and he was starting to believe it. 

“Marshal.” 

It was only years of training that prevented Herc from startling at the sound of Mako’s voice. 

“Ms. Mori,” he said, turning to her with his usual calm. She’d appeared on his left side in the corridor. He knew that their voices could be heard just as clearly as he’d been able to hear Raleigh and Tendo’s conversation. “How was your flight?” 

“Long,” Mako replied. “But uneventful.” Her voice was measured and her expression composed but there was a slight twinkling in her eyes that betrayed her amusement. She’d caught him red-handed but she’d never call him out on it. 

“I hope you were able to get some rest,” Herc said, straightening up. He’d been leaning against the wall in the corridor as he’d followed the conversation inside the staff room. It was noticeable that the conversation had stopped or that Raleigh and Tendo had dropped their voices. 

“I am adequately rested,” Mako was saying, falling into step beside Herc. “And ready for the test drive this afternoon.” 

“Everything is prepared?” Herc gestured for Mako to enter the staff room before him and she did. 

“Yes,” Mako answered. “We are on schedule.” Her eyes fell on Raleigh as she took the seat beside him at the table in the middle of the room. “Raleigh has been following up on all the last minute details since he arrived. There is very little for me to do.” 

“That’s what partners are for,” Raleigh replied, pushing a second mug of coffee in front of Mako. He’d been expecting her, Herc noted. 

“It’ll be nice to have LOCCENT up and running again,” Tendo added, as Herc took the seat beside him. “What’s the point of an operational command if we’re not running any operations?” 

“We should be thankful we don’t need to run any operations,” Herc commented. 

“Point taken, Marshal,” Tendo agreed. “I’m just afraid that we’ll eventually be turned into a godamn museum.” 

“Not any time in the near future,” Raleigh assured him. His eyes briefly met Herc’s and he gave the other man a slight nod. It was the first time they’d seen each other since their ‘date’ the previous evening. 

Raleigh was a total performer, Herc couldn’t help but think. The look he gave Herc was warm and friendly, belying nothing of the heated discussion he and Tendo had just had in which Herc had been the topic. Tendo, on the other hand, was still irritated. 

“What time is Gipsy’s test drive?” Herc inquired. 

“2:00pm,” Mako answered. 

“It’ll be the highlight of the day.” 

“Let me tell you the lowlight of your day,” Tendo informed him. 

Herc gave the J-Tech a sideways glance. 

“Charlotte Wilkes.” 

Herc groaned as Raleigh began to laugh. 

“Your appointment with her is at one,” Tendo continued. 

“Tendo,” Herc began. 

“No, Marshal,” Tendo said firmly. “There’s no getting out of it. You’ve stalled her for long enough.” 

Herc groaned again. Charlotte Wilkes was the extremely pushy and very influential British representative of the PPDC Council. She was also one of their greatest allies despite their constant head butting. Raleigh had already tried his charm on her, but Charlotte Wilkes was one of the few people in the world who was apparently immune to the PPDC’s golden boy. Even worse, her total lack of subtly made it clear that she was interested in Herc in more than a professional capacity. Herc wouldn’t dream of taking a meeting with her without Raleigh to act as a buffer, but he knew that he’d have to deal with her without Raleigh’s assistance today. That’s probably why the little bugger was laughing so hard.

“Use Gipsy’s test drive as an excuse to end the meeting early,” Raleigh suggested when he finally stopped laughing. “Or bring her to LOCCENT. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a front row seat. Tendo will help you out,” he added, grinning at his friend. 

“Not promising that, Marshal,” Tendo said seriously. 

Herc sighed in defeat.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Herc ended up doing exactly as Raleigh suggested, concluding his meeting with Charlotte Wilkes twenty minutes before 2:00pm. He used Gipsy’s test drive as an excuse, saying that he needed to meet with the pilots prior to the conn-pod drop. (That was completely untrue, but he’d always intended to drop by the Drivesuit room anyway.) He’d escorted Charlotte to LOCCENT where Tendo had shot daggers at him for leaving him with baby-sitting duty. Herc was grinning to himself as he walked down the hallway to the Drivesuit room. His relationship with Tendo was more laid-back than Tendo and Stacker’s had been. Of course, Stacker hadn’t been the type to take lip from anybody. Neither was Herc, but Tendo occasionally had a level of cheekiness about him in his dealings with Herc that he never would’ve attempted with Pentecost. Herc also thought it was part of the Raleigh effect. He’d had an inkling that Raleigh and Tendo had been close at the Icebox, but just how close their friendship was only became apparent once they began working together again.

As Herc approached the entrance to the Drivesuit room, he was stopped short by the sight that greeted him. A tech was locking the electronic spinal interface onto Raleigh’s back. It was the last component before Raleigh would enter the conn-pod. The Ranger looked completely at ease in the snug-fitting Drivesuit and Herc would be lying to himself if he didn’t notice how the suit accentuated Raleigh’s already toned figure. But what really stopped Herc short was the person who was speaking to Raleigh. Braden was there, standing in front of the other man, arms crossed as he laughed at something Raleigh was telling him. Herc quashed the flash of annoyance he felt at the sight and strode into the room. Braden spotted him first, his body language shifting into a more formal stance as he nodded at Herc. 

“Marshal,” he said respectfully as Herc joined them.

Raleigh didn’t possess any of Braden’s formality. His eyes lit up when he saw Herc and he grinned. “Managed to get out of the meeting, I see,” he remarked slyly. “Where’d you leave her?” 

“Tendo’s baby-sitting,” Herc informed him, trying to maintain a serious tone. “Told her I needed a quick word with my pilots before the drop.” 

Raleigh arched an eyebrow. “And do you?” 

“No,” Herc said. “But I wouldn’t want to be a liar.” 

“Guess that’s my cue,” Braden interrupted with a small cough. Herc had actually forgotten that the other man was there. “Marshal,” he said once again. 

“Braden,” Herc acknowledged. He was starting to suspect that Braden had a tendency to leave quickly whenever he turned up. He wondered if the kid were afraid of him.

“See you later?” Braden asked Raleigh, and Herc absolutely loathed what that questioned sounded like to him. 

Raleigh’s smile softened. “Sure,” he said. He leaned a little towards Herc after Braden had disappeared. “I think you intimidate him,” he confided. 

“Good,” Herc said with a bit too much satisfaction. His reaction made Raleigh laugh again. 

“Well,” Raleigh said, still amused. “I better head in. Mako’s waiting for me, unless you want to see her too?” 

“Unnecessary,” Herc said with a shake of his head. “You two have a good drop and a smooth drift. I’ll go back to LOCCENT.” 

“Hmm . . . back into the jaws of Charlotte Wilkes,” Raleigh couldn’t help but tease. 

Herc could only muster a somber smile in return. It wasn’t Charlotte Wilkes who was occupying his thoughts at that moment. 

“Raleigh,” he said, just as Raleigh began walking to the conn-pod. Raleigh stopped and looked back. “Have a good time later . . . with Braden.” 

Herc could clearly read the surprise in the other man’s eyes. Raleigh hadn’t been expecting that. “Thanks,” he said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “I’ll see you after the test drive.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gipsy Danger 2.0’s test drive couldn’t have gone any smoother. Raleigh and Mako had effortlessly slipped into the drift, a far cry from the double misalignment they’d experienced a year ago, prompting Mako to chase the R.A.B.I.T. and nearly ending with one of Gipsy’s plasma canons taking out the ‘dome. This time both Rangers achieved a one hundred percent neural handshake without a hitch and the newly constructed Jaeger – the very last of her kind – had flared to life.

Herc felt a surge of pride at their accomplishment, not just for the successful handshake, but for all that they had accomplished (all of them – their PPDC community, their PPDC family) in the past year. Gipsy Danger 2.0 had come to symbolize their endurance at a time when the PPDC had faced an uphill battle against decommissioning and would have been written off by the powers-that-be as though they hadn’t averted Armageddon. It was still an ongoing battle, which is why the support of someone like Charlotte Wilkes was crucial. 

There had been a roundtable meeting after the test drive to which Ms. Wilkes had been invited. The discussion had consisted of running through the final preparations and the schedule for Gipsy’s official launch the following night. The celebration in conjunction with the Chinese government (also active supporters of the Jaeger Program and the PPDC) was going to be enormous. The fireworks display alone was probably the GDP of a small country. Gipsy would make a tour of the bay to maximize her exposure to the press and the crowds, culminating in a presentation at the harbor by the Chinese Foreign Minister. 

“As long as I don’t have to get out of the harness, it’s all good with me,” Raleigh had declared. 

“Using your lady as a shield against the press?” Mako had teased. 

“ _Our_ lady,” Raleigh corrected, “deserves all the glory.” 

It was the cue to wrap up the meeting and Tendo had done so. Raleigh had tapped Herc on the shoulder as he’d left the room, while Charlotte Wilkes engaged him in conversation again. God, Herc simply couldn’t get rid of the woman. He found himself on entertaining duties for the remainder of the afternoon, since it didn’t appear that Ms. Wilkes had anything better to do and he’d run out of excuses to fob her off. He didn’t see Raleigh again until the end of the day and just like the conversation in the staff room, it had been an accident. 

Herc stumbled upon Raleigh with Braden as he’d rounded the corner towards his quarters. Raleigh had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, while Braden leaned over him, resting his weight on his left hand, which was beside Raleigh’s head. There was nothing overtly sexual about their pose, but Herc could see the potential there, the attraction, and the flirtation. He disliked Braden more and more. He felt like he should avert his eyes when he saw Raleigh place his left hand on Braden’s waist and the other man leaned in further. Christ, was he going to kiss Raleigh right out there in the hallway? 

Herc coughed loudly as he neared the pair, causing Braden to straighten up in surprise and for Raleigh to drop the hand that had been on Braden’s waist. With almost anyone else, Herc probably would’ve thrown a barbed, “Get a room,” but Raleigh’s room was only a few feet away and Herc didn’t like the idea of that at all. He remembered Raleigh’s joke about not putting out until the third date and wondered how true it was because the thought of Raleigh and Braden going to Raleigh’s quarters . . . 

Instead, Herc merely gave both men a nod as he passed them on his way to his own quarters. Braden looked slightly flushed, probably embarrassed at almost getting caught. By contrast, Raleigh looked paradoxically tense and reserved. He offered Herc a small smile. 

“C’mon,” Herc heard Raleigh say. “Lemme just grab some stuff and we’ll get out of here.” 

Herc didn’t know what happened next because he’d opened the door to his own room and fled into its safety. He had to change and freshen up as well since Charlotte Wilkes had somehow convinced him to have dinner with her. Herc didn’t think he was such a masochist but he was learning a lot about himself these past few days. 

Dinner with Charlotte was a very different affair from dinner with Raleigh. It confirmed things about Charlotte that Herc had always suspected. For one thing, the meal was not a laid-back affair at a seafood restaurant where you were required to use your hands. No, Charlotte took them to one of the finest French restaurants in the city, asked if Herc had any allergies and then proceeded to order for both of them. Herc was too tired and too distracted to put up any argument. It was halfway through the meal that Charlotte called him out on his lack of involvement in the conversation. 

“Where are you?” she asked bluntly. At Herc’s inquiring look, she added, “You’re physically present, but your mind is obviously somewhere else and has been since the moment we arrived.” 

Herc couldn’t deny it. 

“What’s bothering you?” Charlotte prodded. “If it’s a professional problem, I might be able to help. And if it’s personal . . .” 

“It’s a bit of both,” Herc admitted at last. Charlotte’s look was expectant and Herc felt pressured to say more. “You know that old cliché, you don’t appreciate something until it’s gone? It’s sort of like that.” 

“Oh, that one,” Charlotte replied, returning to her lobster. There was nothing derisive or judgmental about her tone. It was simply matter-of-fact. “Is it something or _someone_?” she asked after a moment. 

Herc didn’t have to answer. He could’ve changed the subject or said that it wasn’t any of her business. (And it wasn’t any of her business.) But these thoughts had been warring inside him for a whole day and they needed an outlet, even if that outlet came in the most unlikely of forms. 

“Someone.” 

“I see.” Charlotte paused. “Assuming that this is a romantic problem, I take it there are obstacles preventing you from pursuing this person?” 

Herc found it amusing that Charlotte Wilkes tackled personal problems as though they were a military operation. The woman was pragmatic through and through. 

“You could say that,” he answered, reining in his amusement. 

“Such as?” 

They had started down this path and Herc would see it through. “Such as the fact that we work together,” he said. “We work together very closely.” 

“And you’re concerned that a romantic development would jeopardize that working relationship,” Charlotte translated. 

Herc considered this. Was that a real concern? Somehow he didn’t think so. Some couples preferred to keep their professional and personal lives separate, but there were others who thrived and seamlessly moved in between the two spheres. Herc suspected that he and Raleigh would be the latter, that in some respects that’s what they already did . . . without the benefits of sex. Shit. Did he just think of sex _and_ Raleigh in the same sentence?

“Actually, no,” Herc finally replied, slightly flustered. “I don’t think it would be a problem.” 

“No sexual harassment charges?” 

Herc looked at Charlotte in surprise. That joke, delivered in a flawlessly deadpan manner was the last thing he’d expected her to say and he laughed. “Why, Ms. Wilkes,” he said, still smiling. “People say you don’t have a sense of humor.” 

“People say the same about you, Marshal,” Charlotte answered. 

“Little do people know then,” Herc commented, beginning to see Charlotte Wilkes in a new light. “And it’s just Herc,” he added. 

“And I keep telling you, it’s just Charlotte.” 

“Charlotte,” Herc repeated in acknowledgement.

Charlotte seemed pleased. “Returning to your little ‘problem,’” she went on. “If the obstacle isn’t professional, what else is there?” 

_A lot_ , Herc thought silently. “Age,” is what he said. 

Charlotte arched an eyebrow. It was her turn to look amused. “I didn’t place you for being a cradle-snatcher,” she said. 

“It’s not as bad as that,” Herc protested. “But there is an age difference and I’m no spring chicken. It feels unfair,” he said thoughtfully. “To limit someone like that, especially when so much . . . possibility . . . exists for them.” 

“Shouldn’t that be their decision?” Charlotte asked somewhat craftily. 

Herc shook his head but he was smiling. He liked Charlotte’s line of thinking. It was probably the main reason why they both believed in the essential survival of the Jaeger Program. It was the details that they squabbled over. 

“So far I haven’t heard anything truly problematic,” Charlotte was saying. 

“There’s also the matter of . . . gender.” 

For the first time all evening, Charlotte Wilkes looked truly taken off guard. “Gender,” she repeated after a moment. “Well, I had _not_ anticipated that. And this person . . .” 

“They play both fields,” Herc finished for her. 

“I see. As do you?” 

“I’m not yet so sure . . .” 

I think I’d be willing to try, Herc thought. How different things might have been if his father had not caught him in the backyard shed when he’d been fourteen, if he hadn’t taken the mantra, “There are no fags in the family,” to heart. He wasn’t belittling his relationship with Angela. He’d loved her deeply, but what if? 

“It’s Raleigh Becket,” Charlotte said into the silence that had fallen between them. “Everything you’ve said fits him – working closely together, the age difference, the gender. Not to mention,” and here she paused and gave Herc a long look. “Not to mention,” she repeated, “how _affectionately_ you were looking at him during the meeting earlier.” 

Herc didn’t think his interest had been that obvious. Otherwise, Charlotte Wilkes was more observant than he’d given her credit for. He wasn’t quite ready to admit that she was right either, but Charlotte took his silence as a kind of admission anyway. 

“This explains a lot,” Charlotte mused, taking a sip of her white wine. “I have no hope of competing with the PPDC’s golden boy.” 

“Charlotte,” Herc said, arriving at a decision. “Be my guest at tomorrow night’s launch.” 

Charlotte put down her glass and gave him another one of those long penetrating looks. 

“After this discussion, you’re asking me to be your date to arguably the most important event for the PPDC when it’s evident that you’re interested in somebody else?” 

Herc couldn’t believe how quickly his opinion of Charlotte Wilkes had changed. In another life, they might have been quite the couple. She was, occasional abrasive attitude aside, an attractive, intelligent woman. 

“I think you forgot the part about not appreciating something until it’s gone,” Herc reminded her. 

“Are you so sure that ship has sailed?”

“Will you be my date or not?” 

“Hercules Hansen, you are the most unromantic man I’ve ever met,” Charlotte declared. “Yes, I will be your date.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Two hours to midnight._

It was amazing how little Herc had seen of Raleigh all day. He didn’t think the other man was avoiding him, but it was unusual. Of course, everything about this New Year’s Eve was unusual. The Hong Kong Shatterdome, the grand old lady and the last remaining active Shatterdome, was looking her best for the night launch. There was an air of festivity and excitement that permeated and adorned her walls. Earlier that month, there had been a Christmas party before most of the personnel, particularly the foreign crew, had flown back home to be with their families. But tonight was different. A large gathering had formed on the Shatterdome’s main floor and all personnel that were not on active duty for Gipsy’s launch had congregated there. The pathway, however, leading to Gipsy’s hangar had been securely cordoned off so that the party would not affect the Jaeger’s launch. 

“We better get going,” Charlotte said, slipping her arm through his. Herc was standing on a platform overlooking the festivities below. “Even with an escort, traffic is going to be murder and we don’t want to be late. Schmoozing is part of the deal.” 

Herc resisted rolling his eyes. A reception was going to follow the awarding ceremony at the harbor, but Charlotte had convinced him that they could minimize linger time if they did an extensive meet-and-greet beforehand. Being the daughter of a diplomat meant that Charlotte was well versed in foreign protocol, whether said protocol was written down or not. There were advantages to her being by his side that Herc hadn’t even considered when he’d asked her to accompany him the previous evening. 

“You look lovely,” he said, as Charlotte lead them towards the entrance of the dome. She was wearing an asymmetrical one-shouldered white column evening gown that accentuated her figure nicely. 

“Thank you,” she replied. “And you look very sharp,” she added. Herc nodded his thanks as Charlotte added, “Though I suspect you hate dress blues.” 

“We _all_ hate dress blues,” Herc confided. 

“Have you seen him yet?” she asked as they waited for their car to drive up. 

“No,” Herc replied, knowing that she was referring to Raleigh. 

“I’m sure you’ll see him afterwards,” Charlotte said encouragingly, as the black PPDC town car stopped in front of them. “It’ll be a new year, Herc. Time to try new things.”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Around twenty to midnight, Gipsy Danger 2.0 emerged from the Shatterdome. The entire harbor had been cleared for her presence and huge crowds of people had turned up to cheer the Jaeger. Herc felt an enormous swell of pride as Gipsy had made her walk around the bay. She was magnificent and the knowledge that Mako and Raleigh were at the helm made him wish that he had a direct line to LOCCENT so that he could hear the banter that was no doubt passing between Tendo and the pilots.

“Well done, Marshal,” Charlotte said at his side, loudly applauding the Jaeger together with the other dignitaries and government officials.

Gipsy eventually came to a stop behind the platform that had been erected along the bay where Herc, on behalf of the PPDC, accepted the commemorative plaque from the Chinese Foreign Minister. At precisely midnight, the fireworks display began and the harbor was lit up with the starbursts of a million little lights. The fireworks lasted for thirty minutes, prompting Herc to tell Charlotte, “Thank god, we’re not paying for that.” 

Although Charlotte had promised minimal lingering after the ceremony, it was still 1:00am before she and Herc were able to take their leave without offending anybody. 

“Let’s see if we can get you back to the ‘dome before your boy,” she’d said as she’d slipped inside the PPDC car. 

There was little chance of that as Gipsy had managed to get away before them and had the added benefit of shortcutting directly through the bay, but Herc appreciated the sentiment. As soon as they arrived back at the Shatterdome, Herc left Charlotte at the ongoing party on the ‘dome’s main floor as he went in search of Raleigh. The number of people had swelled since their departure, mainly because Gipsy’s crew and techs were now able to join in. Tendo was the unofficial Master of Ceremonies on the floor and Herc had spotted Braden as well. Mako had been swarmed by a large Chinese contingent and hadn’t even been able to get out of her Drivesuit yet. 

Herc grabbed one of the techs that he recognized and asked, “Where’s Raleigh?”

“Last I saw he was headed for the Drivesuit room,” the tech answered. “Happy New Year, Marshal,” the tech added, slapping Herc on the back. 

“You too,” Herc replied, before turning in the direction of the Drivesuit room. It was unlikely that Raleigh would still be there, but it was as good a place as any to start.

Sure enough Herc arrived at the Drivesuit room to see the remaining tech putting away the last of Raleigh’s drivesuit. 

“Shouldn’t you be at the party by now?” Herc asked him. 

“On my way, Marshal,” the man answered.

“Don’t suppose you know where he went?” Herc motioned to the chest casing – although he was referring to the suit’s owner – that the tech was returning to its case. 

“Sorry, Marshal,” the tech replied. 

Herc nodded. “Go enjoy the party,” he said. “That’s an order.” 

“Yes, sir,” the man said brightly.

Herc stepped outside the Drivesuit room and pulled out his mobile. Raleigh’s number was the first on his speed dial and he pressed it. The phone rang several times before Raleigh answered. 

“Where are you?” Herc practically barked into the phone. 

There was a beat before Raleigh responded. “On the roof,” he said. “Everything all right?”

“Stay there,” Herc ordered. “I’m on my way.” He hung up before Raleigh could say anything in return. 

When Herc pulled open the door leading to the roof deck that circled the actual dome of the Shatterdome, he was slightly out of breath. He spotted Raleigh at the railing, holding up his hand when Raleigh started to walk towards him. Raleigh stopped and waited for Herc to join him instead. 

“Everything all right?” Raleigh asked again when Herc had reached him. 

“Yeah,” Herc answered. 

“Did you . . . _run_ . . . up here?” 

“I walked,” Herc corrected. “Briskly.” 

In the soft lighting of the roof Herc thought Raleigh was going to call him out on that but the other man merely smiled. “Do you need something?” Raleigh asked instead. 

What a question, Herc thought. Maybe. Yes. You, were just some of the answers that passed through his mind. “How’s Braden?” is what he said instead. 

“Braden?” Raleigh repeated, a little surprised. “He’s good.” 

“Saw him downstairs,” Herc went on. “Thought you’d be with him. What are you doing up here?” 

Raleigh shrugged. “It’s quiet,” he said. “Needed a bit of a break. There’s an amazing view up here too.” 

They both looked out over the harbor and the myriad twinkling lights of the city. 

“I thought you had the best view earlier,” Herc commented, referring to Gipsy’s tour of the harbor. 

Raleigh nodded, grinning. “That was something else, wasn’t it?” he agreed. “The Chinese government went all out.” 

Herc nodded but the action was automatic. He was stalling. He didn’t know how to say what he had come up here to say and Raleigh was waiting. He could feel the kid’s keen gaze on him. 

“I’ve been talking to Charlotte,” Herc began. 

“That relationship’s changed quickly,” Raleigh noted. At Herc’s inquiring look, he explained, “I heard about your dinner with her last night and she’s your guest tonight. Since you’re not _that_ much of a masochist, I figured something must’ve changed.” 

Herc smiled ruefully. Always so perceptive, he thought. “It has,” he confirmed. “She’s an extraordinary woman.” 

“I’m happy for you, Herc,” Raleigh told him sincerely. 

Shit. Raleigh may have been perceptive but he’d also jumped to the wrong conclusion. “It’s not like that,” Herc quickly said. “We’re not involved . . . romantically. Not like you and Braden.” 

Raleigh actually blushed and Herc found it was endearing. 

“Braden?” Raleigh repeated, shifting a little. “Ah, well. I don’t think that’s going to work out either.” 

“No?” Herc said, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. “Last night’s date was a bust?” 

“Far from it,” Raleigh admitted. “It went really well. There’s real chemistry there.” 

Herc felt his flare of hope deflating. “Why then . . .?” 

“I wanted to get the New Year off to the right start,” Raleigh replied somewhat vaguely. “And it didn’t seem fair to Braden.” 

Herc didn’t understand what that meant but he’d take it. “Charlotte was talking about the New Year too,” he said. “About trying new things.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

Herc took a risk and stepped towards Raleigh to close the distance between them. But Raleigh must have anticipated the move because he took a step back almost simultaneously. The younger man looked guarded again. 

“Listen, Herc,” Raleigh said, not quite meeting his eyes. “Pretend dates are nice and everything – pretend kisses too,” he added. “But I shouldn’t have said ‘yes.’ It was . . . stupid . . . because all it made me realize was how much I wanted the real thing. I don’t regret it, but maybe we should take a bit of a break from each other? It’ll help me . . . sort shit out.” 

Herc let out a long breath. This was it, he thought. 

“I don’t agree,” he stated. Raleigh met his eyes then and Herc detected a flash of annoyance there. “I don’t agree,” he repeated, “because I wasn’t pretending. I was too much of a coward to ask you out on a ‘real’ date but that evening is as real as it gets, and I _know_ that you felt it too.” 

Raleigh looked appeased by his words, but there was still an air of caution about him. Herc stepped forward again and was thankful when Raleigh didn’t back away. 

“What are you saying?” Raleigh asked. 

“I’m saying,” Herc said, taking another risk and wrapping his left arm around Raleigh’s waist to pull the other man closer to him. Raleigh didn’t resist but Herc could feel the fine line of tension in the other man’s body. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but I’ve trusted you with everything else. Why not this?” 

Raleigh laughed softly, the tension bleeding away. “That’s a lot of trust,” he commented. 

“It’s been earned,” Herc said sincerely. “What do you say? New year, new things?” 

“I think you should come home with me,” Raleigh answered, the sass back in his tone. 

“Says the man who doesn’t put out until the third date,” Herc reminded him, falling into their easy banter. 

Raleigh only laughed at his response, tugging the lapel of his jacket until Herc obliged, leaning over and kissing him. 

“Babe,” Raleigh said, when the kiss ended. “We are so far beyond the third date, we’re at the part where you should just move in with me.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

 

**Fin.**


End file.
